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1 Ebandleni elalise-Antiyokhi kwakulabaphrofethi labafundisi: uBhanabhasi, loSimiyoni owayethiwa nguNigeri, loLusiya waseKhureni, loManayeni (owayekhuliswe loHerodi umbusi) kanye loSawuli. 2 Kwathi beyikhonza iNkosi njalo bezilile uMoya oNgcwele wathi, “Ngahlukaniselani uBhanabhasi loSawuli baye emsebenzini engibabizele wona.” 3 Ngakho bathi sebezilile njalo sebekhulekile, bababeka izandla babakhupha.
Kuyiwa ESiphrasi
4 Bonke bobabili baholwa nguMoya oNgcwele, behlela eSelusiya lapho abawela khona ngomkhumbi baya eSiphrasi. 5 Bathi sebefikile eSalami, balitshumayela ilizwi likaNkulunkulu emasinagogweni amaJuda. UJohane wayelabo engumsizi wabo.
6 Basibhoda sonke isihlenge baze bafika ePhafosi. Khonapho bafumana umJuda oyisanuse, njalo engumphrofethi wamanga owayethiwa nguBha-Jesu, 7 wayeyinceku kasibalukhulu, uSegiyasi Phawuli. Usibalukhulu lowo, indoda ekhaliphileyo, yathumela ukuthi kubizwe uBhanabhasi loSawuli ngoba wayefuna ukuzwa ilizwi likaNkulunkulu. 8 Kodwa u-Elima isanuse (phela yikho ibizo lakhe elikutshoyo) waphikisana labo wazama ukuphambula usibalukhulu ekukholweni. 9 Kwasekusithi uSawuli, owayethiwa njalo nguPhawuli, egcwele uMoya oNgcwele, wamjolozela u-Elima wathi, 10 “Wena ungumntakaSathane lesitha sakho konke okulungileyo! Ugcwele zonke inhlobo zenkohliso lokudlelezela. Kawuyikufa wakhawula yini ukuhlinikeza izindlela eziqondileyo? 11 Khathesi-ke, isandla seNkosi sizakutshaya. Uzakuba yimpumputhe, awuzukubona ukukhanya kwelanga okwesikhathi esithile.”
Masinyane wehlelwa yinkungu lomnyama, waphumputha, waswela umuntu wokumhola ngesandla. 12 Kwathi usibalukhulu esekubonile lokho okwakwenzakele wakholwa, ngoba wamangaliswa yimfundiso ngeNkosi.
E-Antiyokhi YasePhisidiya
13 Besuka ePhafosi uPhawuli labaphelekezeli bakhe bawela ngomkhumbi baya ePhega esePhamfiliya lapho uJohane abatshiya khona esebuyela eJerusalema. 14 Besuka ePhega baya e-Antiyokhi yasePhisidiya. NgeSabatha bangena esinagogweni bahlala phansi. 15 Sekubaliwe eMthethweni labaPhrofethi, abaphathi besinagogu bedlulisela ilizwi kubo lisithi, “Bazalwane, nxa lilelizwi lokukhuthaza abantu, khulumani.”
16 UPhawuli wasukuma welekelela ngesandla wathi, “Madoda ako-Israyeli kanye lani abeZizwe elimesabayo uNkulunkulu, ngilalelani! 17 UNkulunkulu wabantu bako-Israyeli wakhetha okhokho bethu wenza abantu baphumelela ngesikhathi behlezi eGibhithe. Ngamandla amakhulu wabakhupha kulelolizwe 18 wababekezelela ekuhambeni kwabo okweminyaka engamatshumi amane besenkangala. 19 Wachitha izizwe eziyisikhombisa eKhenani wanika ilizwe lazo abantu bakhe laba yilifa labo. 20 Konke lokho kwathatha iminyaka engamakhulu amane lamatshumi amahlanu (450).
Ngemva kwalokhu uNkulunkulu wababekela abahluleli kwaze kwaba yisikhathi sikaSamuyeli umphrofethi. 21 Abantu bacela inkosi, wabanika uSawuli indodana kaKhishi, owesizwana sikaBhenjamini, wabusa iminyaka engamatshumi amane. 22 Ngemva kokuba esemsusile uSawuli, wabeka uDavida waba yinkosi. Wafakaza ngaye wathi, ‘Sengifumane uDavida indodana kaJese, indoda ethandwa yinhliziyo yami; uzakwenza konke engifuna ukuba akwenze.’
23 Esizukulwaneni salindoda uNkulunkulu uselethe ko-Israyeli uMsindisi uJesu njengokuthembisa kwakhe. 24 Mandulo kokufika kukaJesu, uJohane watshumayela ukuphenduka lokubhaphathizwa kubo bonke abantu bako-Israyeli. 25 UJohane esewuphetha umsebenzi wakhe wathi, ‘Licabanga ukuthi ngingubani na? Kangisuye lowo. Hatshi, kodwa uyeza ngemva kwami, omanyathela akhe akungilingananga ukuthi ngiwathukulule.’
26 Bazalwane, bantwana baka-Abhrahama lani beZizwe elimesabayo uNkulunkulu, lelilizwi lensindiso selithunyelwe kithi. 27 Abantu baseJerusalema kanye lababusi babo kabamamukelanga uJesu, ikanti kwathi ngokumlahla bagcwalisa amazwi abaphrofethi afundwayo ngamaSabatha wonke. 28 Lokuba bengazange bafumane ubufakazi obuqondileyo ukuthi agwetshelwe ukubulawa, bacela uPhilathu ukuthi abulawe. 29 Bathi sebekwenzile konke lokho okwakulotshwe ngaye, bamethula esiphambanweni bamlalisa ethuneni. 30 Kodwa uNkulunkulu wamvusa kwabafileyo, 31 Wabonwa okwensuku ezinengi yilabo abahamba laye besuka eGalile besiya eJerusalema. Manje yibo asebe ngofakazi ebantwini bakithi.
32 Silitshela izindaba ezinhle ukuthi: Lokho uNkulunkulu akuthembisa okhokho bethu 33 usesigcwalisele khona, thina abantwababo, ngokumvusa uJesu kwabafileyo. Njengalokhu kulotshiwe eHubeni lesibili ukuthi:
‘UyiNdodana yami;
lamhla sengibe nguYihlo.’*
34 Lokho ukuthi uNkulunkulu wamvusa kwabafileyo, engasoze abole lanini, kucacisiwe emazwini la:
‘Ngizakunika izibusiso ezingcwele eziqinisekileyo ezathenjiswa uDavida.’†
35 Kanjalo kulotshiwe kwenye indawo ukuthi:
‘Kawusoze wekele oNgcwele wakho abone ukubola.’‡
36 Ngoba kwathi uDavida eseyifezile injongo kaNkulunkulu ngalesosikhathi aphila kuso, walala; wangcwatshwa labokhokho bakhe, umzimba wakhe wabola. 37 Kodwa lowo uNkulunkulu amvusayo kwabafileyo kazange akubone ukubola.
38 Ngakho-ke, bazalwane bami, ngithanda ukuba lazi ukuthi ngoJesu ukuthethelelwa kwezono kuyatshunyayelwa kini. 39 Ngaye bonke abakholwayo sebehlanjululwe ezonweni zonke abebengeke bahlanjululwe kuzo ngomthetho kaMosi. 40 Qaphelani ukuthi lokho okwakhulunywa ngabaphrofethi kungenzakali kini, ukuthi:
41 ‘Khangelani, lina bachothozi,
mangalani libhubhe,
ngoba ensukwini zenu ngizakwenza into
elingasoze liyikholwe
lanxa kube lalingakutshelwa ngubani.’§”
42 Kwathi uPhawuli loBhanabhasi sebesuka esinagogweni abantu babacela ukuthi babuye bazokhuluma njalo ngalezizinto ngeSabatha elilandelayo. 43 Abantu sebechithekile amaJuda amanengi lamakholwa ayephendukele enkolweni yesiJuda balandela uPhawuli loBhanabhasi, bona bakhuluma labo bebakhuthaza ukuthi baqhubeke bebambelele emuseni kaNkulunkulu.
44 NgeSabatha elilandelayo phose lonke idolobho labuthana ukuzakuzwa ilizwi leNkosi. 45 Kwathi amaJuda ebona amaxuku abantu, aba lomona, akhuluma ehlambaza lokho okwakutshiwo nguPhawuli.
46 UPhawuli loBhanabhasi basebewaphendula ngesibindi bathi, “Bekumele silikhulume kini ilizwi likaNkulunkulu kuqala. Kodwa njengoba lililahla ngoba lizibona lina lingakufanelanga ukuphila okungapheliyo, khathesi sesiphendukela kwabeZizwe. 47 Phela nanku iNkosi esisiyale khona yathi:
‘Sengilenze isibane sabeZizwe,
ukuthi lilethe insindiso emikhawulweni yomhlaba.’*”
48 Kwathi abeZizwe bekuzwa lokhu bathaba, balidumisa ilizwi leNkosi; kwathi bonke ababemiselwe ukuphila okungapheliyo bakholwa.
49 Ilizwi leNkosi landa umango wonke. 50 Kodwa amaJuda athela umoya omubi kwabesifazane abahlonitshwayo ababekholwa lamadoda ayengabakhokheli bedolobho. Akhwezela ukuhlukuluzwa kukaPhawuli loBhanabhasi, abaxotsha emangweni wakibo. 51 Ngakho bathintitha uthuli ezinyaweni zabo njengesixwayiso, baqonda e-Ikhoniyamu. 52 Abafundi bagcwala ngentokozo langoMoya oNgcwele.
* 13:33 AmaHubo 2.7 † 13:34 U-Isaya 55.3 ‡ 13:35 AmaHubo 16.10 § 13:41 UHabhakhukhi 1.5 * 13:47 U-Isaya 49.6